#Kobo ereader retailers cracked

Selling Kobo e-readers in Walmart is a signal that Kobo is now going to expand into the United States in a big way, something they have been notoriously resistant to for a very long time. From 2016 to 2016 Amazon sold 406 million Kindle Books, Apple sold 44 million, B&N 19 million and Kobo sold a paltry 1.2 million. The US is the largest singular ebook market in the world and Kobo is getting left behind.

This is why Kobo only sold their e-readers online via their US site and never any retail partners. To prevent another company from acquiring it, Kobo filed a claim with the New York bankruptcy court and it was fought over the next few years. When Borders went out of business in 2011, the company went to receivership to liquidate all of their assets, among their property was the Kobo license. Early on in their business relationship Kobo had granted Borders an exclusive license to distribute their e-readers in the United States.

#Kobo ereader retailers cracked

This is the first time that Kobo has cracked the US market since 2011 when Borders went bankrupt.īorders was one of the early investors in Canadian based Kobo contributing 5 million dollars and held a 11% stake in the company. Walmart and Kobo will also launch a co-branded e-reader app. Customers will be able to buy devices in all of the retail locations and ebooks later this year. Kobo has ironed out a deal with Walmart to sell audiobooks, e-readers and ebooks in the United States.